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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27172330">Time to Wake Up</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lionessvalenti/pseuds/lionessvalenti'>lionessvalenti</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, M/M, Nightmares, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 01:42:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>776</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27172330</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lionessvalenti/pseuds/lionessvalenti</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Rocket still has the nightmares.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Rocket Raccoon/Thor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Shipoween 2020 - The Halloween Ship Exchange!</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Time to Wake Up</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/days4daisy/gifts">days4daisy</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The cold seeped through Rocket's fur, bleeding into his skin and curling around his bones. He curled in on himself, trying to hold in any body heat that remained, but he only shuddered, freezing and naked on the floor of a metal cage.</p><p>He cracked open an eye to see the dark lab bathed in an eerie red light. He couldn't see much beyond the bars in front of him, the other cages cast in shadow, but he could smell the blood and sweat. He could hear the howls, the agony, the pain of every other half formed creature that had been pieced together with screws and metal. They cried out for help that would never come.</p><p>It was the deepest pit of the cold in Rocket's body, knowing he was alone. There was no one out there who would rescue him. He could still feel the ash, gritty and warm, in his paws as Groot disappeared before him. He was alone, without a single dead friend to save him.</p><p>Rocket would be dead too, but not before screaming his throat raw like every other sad sack abomination in the lab, only to be pulled apart and remade. He knew what they did and how they did it. He could be stitched back together until he was something else more wretched and alone.</p><p>He squeezed his eyes shut, as if it would help him against the cold, or quiet the chaos around him. If he was very lucky, they would let him rot this time.</p><p>"Rabbit. Rabbit, wake up."</p><p>Rocket's eyes shot open. His heart was pounding throughout his entire body like one solid, throbbing pulse point. He wasn't in the dark, noisy lab, but his room on the Milano, with the light on over the bed. He clammy beneath a blanket, still shaking, but awake. Safe.</p><p>"Breathe," Thor said. He was laying on one side, a hand supporting his head, and his other hand raking through the fur at the back of Rocket's neck.</p><p>He inhaled sharply, unaware he had even been holding his breath. He slumped back against Thor's body, settling in the little dip between Thor's chest and his belly. He was still shaking, but he could already feel the calm that wakefulness brought with it after a nightmare. </p><p>Thor tilted his face down and pressed a kiss to the top of Rocket's head. "Do you want to talk about it?"</p><p>"Nothing to talk about. Same shit, different day," Rocket replied. They'd been over this before. This wasn't anything new.</p><p>He knew it had only been a dream, but it had felt so real. They all felt real. Every nightmare for the last six years had been hounding him with its reminder that his family was gone and no one was going to come back for him. Except for the last year of it, that hadn't been the case. They were (mostly) back together, and the nightmares hadn't stopped.</p><p>"I suffered nightmares for many years after Thanos," Thor said. His voice was low and Rocket could feel the rumble of his words vibrating throughout his chest. "I scorched many bedsheets in my terror. Horrible visions from that day, and from Asgard's demise. Impotently pulling at Mjolnir's handle to no avail in the midst of battle. Watching my people die, helpless to stop it, over and over again."</p><p>Rocket craned his neck to look up at Thor's face. "You ain't having nightmares now."</p><p>Thor smiled. "It seems sharing my bed with you soothes me."</p><p>"Oh." Rocket knew that was supposed to be a compliment. It was supposed to make him feel good that he had such an effect on Thor's rest, but it only made him feel crummy that he couldn't say the same thing. However, he had stopped shaking and his breathing was even. He no longer felt the cold or heard the echoes of the howls.</p><p>The nightmares might not have been gone, but waking up was better than it ever had been before.</p><p>Rocket nuzzled his face against Thor's cheek. "And here I thought you were just in it for the sex."</p><p>Thor chuckled, and his laugh turned into a yawn. "A reasonable assumption, but no."</p><p>Rocket snorted and leaned his head back on Thor's chest. He wasn't going back to sleep anytime soon, but he closed his eyes, comfortable in the safety of Thor's embrace. "You don't have to stay up with me."</p><p>"Nonsense, Rabbit. If you're awake, I'm awake."</p><p>"If you say so, Thunder." Rocket grinned to himself as moments later, Thor began to snore. It was all right. Rocket was warm and safe. He had everything he needed.</p>
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